The Forgotten Glory of the Sunflower Patriot
by TheOptimisticPessimist
Summary: Natsu swore that he would be long dead before he ever loved again. NatsuxLucy CH7 UP 0801809!
1. Children of Men

I hadn't planned on passing this out so early, but the good news made me do it; Fairy Tail the ANIME is COMING OUT THIS FALL!!!! FTW!!!!! This is my first multi-chapter and I promise to update on a weekly basis. Please bear with me, as each chapter is suppose to be a bit vague.

DISCLAIMER: If I owned Fairy Tail, Natsu would take off his clothes just as often as Gray. (For different reasons, of course.) We never get to see Natsu pants-less. It's a shame.

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The Forgotten Glory of the Sunflower Patriot

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Preface

"Dawn of Romance"

She was brought forth from William Thatch,

Who died in a clover patch.

Natsu stared and realized

True Love was there,

Before his eyes.

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Part 1

"Children of Men"

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"Really now, Mirajane! You must be more lady-like, or the boys won't like you at all!"

"SHUT UP WILL! Do you think I friggin' care what boys think about me? They can all go to hell!" Mirajane stomped across the floor, disapproval and anger reflected in the indents she left in it. This left a much dumfounded William Thatch to sit by his lonesome, scratching his head as he pondered what on earth to do with the child.

This was William Thatch. William Thatch was a pleasant man. He was a 'stop and smell the roses' kinda man. William Thatch was a man who could put up with anything Mirajane threw at him simply because she was his daughter.

Well.

He assumed all the children of the guild as his own. There were children, some as young as 8, running around the guild because they had no where else to go! All of them, orphans, with too much life experience to deal with at such a young age. He felt a tug of compassion at his heart when he saw how independant each child was; each, their own person, each in need of love.

Natsu Dragonil looked at William Thatch from across the dining hall.

He smiled.

"You try too hard, Dad."

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AN: Weekly installment on Saturdays. I swear. I feel that the shortness of each chapter will egg you on gently, each with a cliffhanger to kill you off with.

I really do hope you enjoy this. I love this plot; it makes my heart burst with joy. I was in the middle of writing when I realized that I was the only one who knew how old Natsu was. Natsu is nine. I want to say he found Happy when he was ten or eleven.

If you review, I'll let you touch my dog. She doesn't bite. Ok, I lied. She bites.


	2. Haud Magis Vicis

The installments will appear on Tuesdays cuz I'm a bloody liar.

DISCLAIMER: If I owned Fairy Tail, I would seriously consider some Leon x Gray action. I really think I would.

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The Forgotten Glory of the Sunflower Patriot

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Part 2

"Haud magis vicis"

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The world was steadily falling apart right in front of his eyes. The aching pain in his heart crippled him; he collapsed on the spot and struggled to breathe through the rivulets of tears that never seemed to cease.

Anger ebbed at his spine as the adrenaline rush was becoming hard to bare. It even made his knees ache.

He clawed at the floor. He suddenly couldn't hear anymore. It was like he was submersed in his grief. He was shut off from the world; silenced from the sudden panic and fury that had consumed the room; muted from the cries of children who didn't understand; hopelessly taciturn from the sound of his own breathing.

No wait.

He just wasn't breathing.

Someone pulled him up by his armpits. Natsu, having just made the realization of his resurfacing, began to hyperventilate.

This was all too real, too fast.

It was happening again and there was nothing he could do about it

Again.

Why did he have to go and die? Why was William leaving him? Didn't he understand Natsu needed him?

Didn't Igneel…

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AN: Notice how at the end, the names were switched to give purpose to the 'again'. Man, I just want to explain EVERYTHING to you. Its gonna be a good story, really.

Ah, I love how the first two chapters conflict each other so painfully. The title means 'No more time"

Review and win a One Piece tan line! Guaranteed to get them hottie anime bishies to like you better.


	3. Cloverfield

DISCLAIMER: If I owned Fairy Tail, Lucy would wear pants. Just once, at least.

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The Forgotten Glory of the Sunflower Patriot

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Part 3

"Cloverfield"

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Natsu sat in a field of clover, just outside of Magnolia. His eyes were half-lidded and glassy, staring, but seeing nothing.

There was a large hole somewhere, deep inside of him. He had fallen into it and couldn't climb out.

Natsu took notice of his toes which stuck out of the tall clover. But it wasn't really his toes that caught his attention - It was the small spear of Broomrape between them that had.

Words drifted like smoke across his hazed mind, echoing and hallow. He almost didn't hear them.

Natsu gently reached out and plucked the yellow-brown plant. He held it up to the light. Its slight purple tinge reminded Natsu of William. And the bellflowers…

Natsus' head fell limply to his side as he lost himself, staring at the sticky growth.

Williams magic was flowers. He commonly used an attack, Creeping Bellflower, to sneak across the ground to capture his opponents.

Bellflower also grew in this field where Natsu sulked.

He had been told today that Williams dead body had been discovered in a field rather similar to this one just outside of the town Hedgeburrow somewhere in the east.

Natsu ventured another look, this time to the far left. On the edges of the field were thick rushes of Weeping Love Grass.

He crushed the Broomrape in his hand.

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AN: You may not think this, but this is important to the story. Really. All plants mention herein are real. I researched them.

OMAKE – RANT!!! : ERZA IS PISSING ME OFF SUPER CEREAL!

I'm being serious but I wanted to make you laugh as well… Please wait next week for chapter four! (Notice that ch1 and 3 are movie titles…)


	4. The One and Only Truth

DISCLAIMER: If I owned Fairy Tail, this story would make no sense. Sigh... I didn't even try with this disclaimer...

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The Forgotten Glory of the Sunflower Patriot

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Part 4

"The One and Only Truth"

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Natsu watched quietly as Benny polished and cleaned one of his many guns.

"Yasee, this part, here, with tha' funny smelling oil can break real easy like, if yarn't careful. Gotta make sure and clean it real nice."

Natsu was fundamentally bored.

"Benny."

Natsu hadn't spoken for several days, so his voice was weak and it quavered. Normally, showing such weakness would have made the boy wretch, but somehow, he couldn't find the heart to do so.

Benny looked at him, his hands motionless and concern rooted in his large black eyes.

Natsus' mouth hung open as he tried to search for his words.

"I hurt… Benny. I can't make it stop."

Benny set his gun down, and rubbed his chin.

"Wha's botherin' ya, Nah-tsu?"

"My…my heart. It always hurts…so bad. It won't go away." Natsu felt like crying. Benny hummed momentarily, his thinking process almost looking comical.

"Yanno howta fix that, dontcha, Nah-tsu?"

Natsu looked up, his face a mask of complete surprise. Benny picked up his gun and started cleaning it with gusto. The smile on Bennys face was large and missing teeth.

"Make'ah deal with yer heart, boy."

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AN: I confess. When I was writing Benny, I was thinking of Benn from One Piece (In Shanks crew), only sleez-ier and with a bad Texas drawl (think the 'old man from the Atlantis movie' except that Benny isnt old. ) Benny has long brown hair.

And five o'clock shadow. And a dog named Bingo.

Review and win my shoes. They are the sexiest four inches you will ever walk on.


	5. Midnight Bowling

DISCLAIMER: If I owned Fairy Tail, I wouldn't have to pay money to see Natsu dressed up like Ace. Wait, they don't make you pay?! Dammit!

OMAKE - NOTE: Heart-Away was proof reading this for me and she seriously thought I had paid to see Natsu dressed as Ace. Please feel free to PM her and rolfcopter her or something of the like. SOMEONE, PLEASE do it. (You can say I told you do to it.)

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The Forgotten Glory of the Sunflower Patriot

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Part 5

"Midnight Bowling"

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Before them was a wide and slender wooden bowl. It might've been a salad bowl but right now, it was a candle bowl.

Natsu had appeared at the window, behind him, the moon glowing and showering him in its beams (his hair never seemed pinker).

Natsu pulled a pack from his back as he sat in front of the candle bowl. Erza gave it a non-descriptive look.

"Is that why we're here?"

Natsu didn't answer. He moved the bag to his lap, briefly squeezing the straps before dumping its contents between the three of them.

Gray stared.

"Flowers?"

Natsu plucked a bright red blossom off the top of the heap. He twirled it in his fingers.

"Benny said… if we made circumstances that were too high… If we made an impossible person…It would stop." He gave them a fleeting look; but within that look, he knew they understood.

"Someone… we would like?" Erza ventured, tenderly fingering a fat red puff.

"That's what he said."

"Why flowers?" Gray whispered dubiously.

"To make our wish…well, our spell come true, we have to have something to offer." Natsus' hand quavered. Natsus' voice cracked.

Gray slowly picked up a cluster of orange buds, biting down on his trembling lip.

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AN: I AM SO SORRY I FORGOT TO UPDATE LAST WEEK!!! I..uh... WAS DISTRACTED BY.. uh... SWAMP GAS REFLECTING OFF A WEATHER BALLOON MEASURING THE ATMOSPHEREIC PRESSURE OF VENUS.. and....uh... That will be...Dismissed.

One by one, they were willing to do it. I named the chapter because the equivalent trade made me think of Full Metal Alchemist.

Midnight bowling. Effing best title EVR! The puns never cease, do they? And they rhyming in the second paragraph – I AM AMAZING .

Note on the recent chapter – More boob-age for Natsus face! FTW!

OMAKE – Continued note – Heart – Away also thought that 'candle bowl' was funny. Lord, bless her heart.


	6. Memento Mori

DISCLAIMER: If I owned Fairy Tail we would get to see Natsus' house. Right now, I assume he lives in a hole in the ground. (And I just noticed that all the disclaimers before this one have something to do with clothing. I am such a freak…)

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The Forgotten Glory of the Sunflower Patriot

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Part 6

"Memento Mori"

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Creeping Bellflower is an aggressive plant. It grows along the ground in a vine at a rapid pace, destroying the likelihood of survival of other low-dwelling plants. The bells of said plant were rich lavender, and blossomed like little purple stars.

Natsu held one in his small hands. Just looking at the flower made him feel like William was there, watching over them as they, his children, laid him to rest in their own way.

"She will make pets of the stars." Natsu lay the flower at the base of the candle.

Erza held her fat red Gomphrena puff to her chest. "Her conviction will impress gods." She gently placed it next to Natsus'.

Gray stared at his own Butterfly weed, his mouth slowly parting from deep thought.

"She…can flip a pancake… higher than the rooftops." He quietly put the flowers in the bowl.

Natsu and Erza stared.

"That's dumb." Natsu deadpanned.

"Shut-up." Gray looked murderous.

Erza sighed as the two exchanged threats. She reached out for a clump of hard grey stalks of grass. She recognized them from the thrushes of rough Love Grass on the outskirts of the flower field. "She will… have eyes… the color… of mud." Erza pulled each stem from the clump of dirt that held them together and littered them around the candle.

"That's ugly." Snorted Gray before snatching a few red Poppys. "Hm…Oh, I know." Gray pulled the petals off one by one, letting them fall in disarray to the wooden dish.

"She will write letters that no one will read."

"What?" Natsu shook his head. Yes, William had to be here, for Natsu could smell the leather of his thick brown loafers. He cound feel him in the room, his bright, sad smile, always recollecting about his late-wife, Lara.

William knew what was going on.

Natsu took hold of a small, yellow-brown plant; Broomrape.

"Her favorite shape-"

"A Heart. It's a heart." Ezra nodded emphatically.

"What? But that's so girly!" The boy snorted, rolling his eyes.

"We're making a girl! What girl DOESN'T like hearts?"

Natsu stared at the plant, thinking hard. Slowly, he added it to the bowl.

"Her _least_ favorite shape will be a heart." Erza growled at his spite.

As it fell, it suddenly became aflame, igniting the other flora when it landed.

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AN: I hadn't intended it to be so long, but I needed to get the point across. Lara is pronounced La-Ra.

New Chapter – So… Nirvana is a giant spider? Are we gonna get some Will Smith and Wild Wild West? That'd be cool…

Favorite line – Gray looked murderous. HA! 10 year old gray…murderous. That's just the cutest image ever…


	7. Radium Eyes

DISCLAIMER: If I owned Fairy Tail, I would make The Girls of Fairy Tail swim suit catalogue available. (I gotta have a little somethin' somethin' for the boys! Everything is for the ladies these days. And you _know _Loki would have one.)

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The Forgotten Glory of the Sunflower Patriot

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Part 7

"Radium Eyes"

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_Ten years later_

He didn't know how she did it, but she just laid a wad of cash on the table and assumed the best of him. He was thankful. He didn't know how she did it, but she walked off with a smile, knowing she'd never see him after this and didn't really seem to care. He was thankful. He didn't know how she did it, but she had made him find her, like a magnet drawing in iron. He was thankful.

He didn't know how she did it, but the boat stopped rocking. And he was thankful.

Adrenaline smoldered in his muscles, propelling his body like a rocket. Happy flew alongside him as they were chased out of Harujion by the local militia.

And she was there too. (Even if he just grabbed her and ran.)

Her name was Lucy.

"Hey." He turned to the blonde, a large smile on his face. She turned, her face radiating in the excitement of the situation. "You wanna join Fairy Tail, right?" He had never invited any one to the guild before, but her glowing smile seemed answer enough. "Then come with me!"

"Ok!" Her joy exploded within him and blossomed with such intensity that Natsu screamed in elation.

XoxoX

That was two months ago, today. Lucy had become a dominant figure in his life, someone he saw every day; and today was no different.

In fact, he had become such good friends with her, that he was sitting on her bed watching Happy walk all over her manuscripts with ink on his paws, waiting for breakfast.

Lucy was in the kitchen, her homemade pancakes flipping higher than the birdhouse motifs on her uppermost cabinets.

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AN: This was unexpectedly hard to write. I didn't really know how to go about it. Can you smell the end drawing closer, like Nirvana?!? HAHAHAHAHAAaaa cough cough cough..Is Midnight a boy, girl or transvestite? If he/she IS a trans…what did he/she tansgender FROM?? MY HEAD HURTS! I DUN GET IT!!!!

Manga Chapter Note – I thought it was SO cute when Natsu was screaming! OneManga scans didn't translate it, so his voice bubble is all kanji!!! WAH!


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